The Little Priestess
by Maddie-san
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a lonely priestess that did not belong, a stubborn youkai that did not love, and a selfish spider that did not feel...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Some of you might remember this story from a few years back. I took it down after a while since I got a few (read: a lot) of flames. And I didn't want to deal with it and I had many stories going on. But, recently I re-vamped it, and added a lot and decided to re-post it (Back then, I only got to 3 chapters. I plan to _NOT_ taking it down this time and I do intend on finishing it, no matter what). So here we are.

The _starting point of this story_ is that it is based on the Little Mermaid. It's inspired from the tale but it's a twisted spin on it.

**The Little Priestess**

**Chapter 1: Sin and Grace**

Once upon a time, far from Edo, deep into the mountains and surrounded by the protection of the forest, was a small village. All the houses were simple, wooden walls, roof holding with branches and hay, barely protecting them from heavy rain. They were all fairly similar in size except for one which was substantial compared to the others. From the outside, it was a village like any. However, unlike all the others it was not home to regular humans; it was a holy village. All the residents were priestesses and monks along with their children who would grow up to be the same as their parents.

They shielded themselves from the regular world because of the on-going battle they had with the youkais. It started when time began, and it would stop when time would come to an end. They were enemies by nature and complete opposites. One sought the light and the others used the power of darkness. They were created to conflict and fight each other until one of them was extinguish, never to walk the earth again.

In the beginning, it was a bloodshed, bodies falling, populations decimated, until all that filled the air was the putrid scent of death. Blood stained the grass, villages were burned down and genocide was well on its way. Until one day, out of the hatred, the desperation and the killing, a jewel was born. It was filled with the youki and the holy powers of all those who died. The most powerful weapon but it was not own by monks and youkais could not lay their hands on it either.

Suddenly, destruction loomed over them and their battles only fueled the need of the jewel. The first years were spent trying to find it, a never ending chase. Unfortunately it was never found. A dreadful truth lurking around the corner and they were forced to come to an awful conclusion; they had to cease the fighting for the sake of both sides and to prevent complete inhalation.

As the years went by, the battles lessened, the deaths decreased, but the hatred remained, their differences too great to be overcome. Both clans sheltered themselves from each other with the help of magical barriers. Only holy beings could see their own village and the same went for the youkais. They never mingled, they never spoke. Usually an encounter resulted in death or injury since they could never come to an understanding.

Children of light were taught from birth to avoid and despise them. Youkais were evil creatures who would slash their chest open and eat their heart without any mercy. Never could on be trusted and if they had the misfortune of encountering one; they had to run and find protection in the village. Even unholy villages had a monk or priestess living there for protection. And children did what they were raised to do; they detested youkais.

Well almost all children because there was always one that was not like the others.

As another day ended, a bright red sun grazed the edge of the horizon while dark blue tones slowly engulfed the sky. The chirping of the birds in the nearby forest died down which announced to the holy village that it was time to retract to the safety of their homes. Slowly, a pale pink light began to form a protective bubble around the village and created a sizzling sound that could only be heard from the outside world.

People scattered around the village to blow out the torches that lite the vicinity. One woman bent down and picked up remnants of herbs that were probably dropped earlier during the day by children. Once everything was stashed away in her little hay basket, she lifted her head and her chocolate brown eyes searched the surrounding until they landed on her daughter.

"Kagome," she called out. "Hurry inside."

As her name was called out, the little girl turned her body to peep at her mother. Her crystal blue eyes were practically covered by her ebony bangs while the rest of her long hair was neatly tied in a braid by a red ribbon. Those blue eyes of hers; they were a rarity. Nobody ever had such an eye color in the history of their world. They made her different, - foreign even.

Instead of providing her mother with a verbal answer, Kagome simply nodded and rose up, her orange kimono flowing with the breeze as she did so. Her hands were filled with colorful flowers – healing flowers. She spent her day collecting them and she was almost done. If she found the last flower, her work would be complete. She could not give up now. She peered at her mother one more time, watching her walk away, before deciding to venture towards the edge of the barrier.

When she turned the age of six summers, her mother explained the importance of the barrier and why she was not to ever go on the other side alone. Since then a few summer went by and Kagome had yet to disobey that rule; if she did, she might be attacked or worst – killed on sight by one of the youkai. But now, things – oh they were much different. Right there, past the pink light and right by a tall, flourishing, plum tree, was the orange flower she required to complete her task.

And she did not see it anywhere inside the limits of the village.

If she waited until morning, her mother would surely accompany her but – morning was a long time from now and her impatience was turning her antsy, her toes wiggling in impatience. Kagome was not certain she would be able to wait that long. She sunk her teeth in her bottom lip while she shifted her weight repeatedly from her left leg to her right one. If she stayed really close, she could run back inside to safety fast enough if something happened. Yes.

Kagome gently put down the flowers she was holding on the ground, gathering them in a bunch, hoping the wind would not carry them away. Her heart beat rapidly while she dared to stretch one of her foot outside the barrier. She almost expected it to hurt her but it did not. Once she confirmed it was safe, she moved the rest of her body on the other side, thrill rushing through her tiny body as she disobeyed the rules for the very first time.

Since only the moon was left in the sky on the starless late evening that surrounded her, she found herself completely blind in the darkness. She let her previous sighting of the flower guide her to its location, hoping it would be enough to find it. Luckily, she reached it and once she did, Kagome dropped to her knees, the fabric of her clothes burning her skin. Immediately her hands dug up the dirt surrounding it which resulted in her staining her perfectly clean clothes.

This would displease her mother greatly.

A few instants later, the flower and its roots were completely free from the ground and Kagome wore a proud smile on her face. She rubbed her hand on her cheek, which left a dirt stain on her skin, and rose back to her feet with the flower secure in her hold. As she was about to turn around and return to the village, a flash of green caught her attention and made her blue eyes widen in surprise.

The green color should scare her but it did not. Her mother told her a long time ago that monk and priestesses only had purple and pink lights. Considering the fact that the rule was never broken, whoever was in the forest had to be… a youkai.

Youkais.

She heard about them a lot since it was the reason why her village protected itself so intensively. It was even why she needed to master archery, despite her obvious lack of talent. They were dangerous, vicious monsters with no heart and they killed priestesses and monks whenever they saw one! If youkais ever spotted a priestess or even a human, they would rip their head off on sight and then eat them. Her mother said she should be terrified of them – until she learned how to dispose of them of course.

At least, those were the ramblings everyone shared with her, ignoring her young age.

In spite of the way her heart was pounding, she took another step forward. So many stories, yet she never saw a real one before! They were described as monsters and yet she always thought they seemed fascinating. Maybe – maybe she could peek at it? It might not see her if she was quiet enough. She folded her little chubby fingers into fists and moved closer to the source of the green light, holding her breath. Scared was what she should be and yet she could not bring herself to tone down the excitement pulsing through her.

A real youkai!

She twisted her mouth into a pout while grabbing the edge of some bushes. She gently pushed the branches out of the way only to reveal an unexpected sight; a little boy. He did not seem much older than she was as he stood straight with his hand stretched in front of him while poison dripping from his claws. With each movement he made, the light green liquid touched the grass and sizzled away as it burned it, leaving nothing but a brown patch behind.

Kagome watched in awe as he practiced stances and fought away his imaginary enemy. In her eyes, he was no beast, but instead she would qualified him as rather magical. His shiny silver hair cascaded down his shoulders while his amber eyes resembled liquid gold, shining into the night brighter than the moon itself. And – and oh kami! Markings! He had markings. On his forehead rested a dark blue half moon and his slightly plump cheeks had magenta stripes on them – two on each side.

An error of nature that only sought to destroy; those were her mother's words. Yet as she watched him so gracefully move, shifting his posture and twisted his limbs around, she was envious. She was supposedly a child of the Earth, filled with grace and patience, yet some days she struggled to put one foot in front of the other without tripping. He on the other hand was moving swiftly though the air like he was weightless and had wings.

Unable to resist the urge, she sat down quietly and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Part of her feared he might discover her, but then she was reminded that this area was still close to the barrier and she was probably invisible to him. Plus, she did not think he would hurt her; how could something so beautiful bring pain? The spoken words of her people evaded her mind and she forgot all the stories, all the torment this creature was supposed to inflict upon her.

They were wrong. How could he hurt anyone?

He would not. He could not.

She watched as he freely did as he pleased, clearly outside the limits of his own village. He barely seemed concerned about his safety or his location as if it was not forbidden for him to roam where he wanted. He did not even let the thoughts of enemies or attacks preoccupied him. It was him and him alone. All his focus was on his training which was terribly intense and caused a thin layer of sweat to slowly form on his forehead, glistening across his pale skin.

Kagome wanted that freedom.

Her little eyes observed him and her heartbeat picked up. She even failed to notice the flush on her cheeks and the way she was chewing her bottom lip, ripping away at the thin layer of skin. This was the grace she desired; he possessed everything she dreamed to have.

"Kagome?"

At the sound of her mother's voice she jumped in surprise. She quickly glanced around with her blue eyes dilated as if she expected to see her mother standing behind her. When she was re-assured that nobody found out about her horrible indiscretion, Kagome quickly scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping in the process, and headed for the inside of the barrier, never looking back, afraid that she might stay and get herself into trouble yet again.

Perhaps, she would see him again tomorrow.

-T-

"Kagome!"

A heavy sigh.

"Kagome!"

At her mother's harsh tone, Kagome woke up in a jolt, all her senses on alert. Her panicked eyes scanned the room, all of it nearly empty except for one person. She finally spotted her mother near her with her hands on her hips, her dark eyebrows twisted, her nose wrinkling. She watched as the older woman pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly attempting to hide the annoyance she felt towards her only child.

"The sun has been up for a while now and yet here you are, asleep, again. You are supposed to go help the others and tend to the garden today."

She ran her fingers through her dark, tangled hair, her fingers getting stuck in a few of the knots and nodded quickly. "I am sorry, Mother." Once again, she failed to her task. It was not something she tried to do on purpose. Luck was never on her side when it came to her tasks.

Before Kagome's feet even touched the ground, her mother was already nowhere in sight, gone to tend to her own duties. It was almost hard to blame her for her rage. Every day, Kagome messed up something different. She did everything she did with good intentions – and she did try – but it seemed that when it came down to priestesses' duty, she simply was not gifted. She was the strange one, the one that never seemed to quite belong.

As soon as she rose to her feet, she grabbed her attire from the ground. She quickly slipped on the red and white clothes and then, her hands roamed all over the place until she finally got hold of her ribbon. Quickly, she tied her hip length hair into a braid, her bangs swung to the side with a swipe of the hand, and ran outside. Already the village was buzzing with liveliness, people minding to their daily tasks.

She tried to appear calm as she rushed to the unoccupied garden. Nobody else could tend to it today and she failed to be there on time. It might actually be a good turn out since at least nobody was there to reprimand her for another failure. She kneeled down, her knees covered in dirt and her red hakama shifting to a brown color because of the dirt. She immediately began to fix the ground around the herbs since they were the bases of all their knowledge and healing powers. Without them, they were lost.

Kagome held back a yawn while dragging herself around, the sun reaching its highest point into the sky before she was anywhere near being done. Same day, same thing, same routine. Even when the barrier was not up, they had to pretend it was and never venture too far, pretending there was not a whole wide world waiting for them. Also, if you had to go anywhere, you were forbidden from going alone. Strength came in numbers. Alone you were an easy target and you died.

During those moments, Kagome felt so different from everyone else.

They seemed to think the world was somewhere to be afraid of, never to be explored and that the village was the only thing they controlled, the only safe haven on earth. She knew they were wrong. Every now and then she would dare to go further than she was allowed and each time she returned safely. Nothing was out to get them like they believed.

The world was beautiful and it had so much to offer. If only her mother would let her explore it properly.

She did not care much for their foolishness. She heard the stories, she grew up hearing them, but they were all lies. How long was it since the last injury? Not only that, but who truly started the battles? All she ever had as a reference of the truth was their side of the stories. Who said they were completely innocent in this war? Perhaps the youkais also had reasons to be upset.

A sigh rolled off her lips and she focused her attention back onto the garden. She began pulling some of the weeds out, cleaning up the area, while her mind wandered away. Oh, all the discoveries she was missing out on. She tucked her loose strands of hair behind her ear since they covered her face because of the powerful breeze. Her expression was showing her unhappiness while she repeated the same meaningless task she did times and times before.

Once all the weeds were pulled out and stacked in a neat pile beside her, she stood up. Gently, Kagome brushed the dirt off her knees and began to scan the area for a basket. She forgot hers in her rush this morning and now she had nothing to carry back the weeds and the herbs. If she did it with her hands, they would notice, and they would all judge and shake their heads. While she peered around, she happened to peek at the little forest near her village.

How could she ever forget it? That night changed her life forever. That night proved she was right.

She might have been young, but it made an impact on her nonetheless. She saw the forbidden world and it did not hurt her like her mother said it would. She did return the next night, hoping to see the little boy again, but it was without luck; she never saw him after that night. Evening after evening, she sat there in the middle of the bushes and waited, but she was disappointed each night. Eventually, the risk was no longer worth it and she ceased to wait for him.

It was not like he knew she existed or that he would be her friend. Although, she did daydream of a friendship with him back then. She found very few friends within her peers. Youkais might understand what it was like to be different? She did not think they were as evil as people portrayed them to be, how could that be a bad thing? After all, they remained in their own boundaries did they not? Perhaps they were as sick and tired of fighting as her people were.

She shook her head at her foolish thoughts and detached her eyes from the luscious, green forest. No matter what did occur, things would never change.

It was then, during her moment of deep hopelessness, that a faint grunt reached her dull human ears.

Right away, she went on alert and searched the vicinity, her eyes shifting in every direction. It took her a few seconds, but she finally realized its origin; it was coming from the forest. Her blue eyes enlarged and her heart began to pound. Her ears fell deaf and she could not longer hear the faint, dreaded grunt that first attracted her attention. A lump was stuck in her throat, her guts twisted. It could not be… could it?

Without even thinking twice about it, she took a few steps in direction of the forest her heart thumping, her mouth dry, feeling like cotton. It was not until her feet reached the invisible boundary that she realized the possible consequences of her actions. This was not night; it was bright day where everyone could see her. Kagome quickly peered around, sweat forming at the base of her neck, and she observed everyone with suspicion dancing in her eyes.

If only one person saw her, she was doomed. Nobody would let her go explore by herself. She was also no longer a child and had no excuses for the rules she was about to break.

Once the perimeter seemed secure, she moved forward at a rapid speed. Her hands were trembling more than she wished to as she slowly leaned closer. Before she was able to move the vegetation out of the way, she spotted blood on the grass. Blood? Her heartbeat plummeted and her pink lips parted. She lowered herself until her knees hit the ground and she then did her best to remained hidden while daring to inspect the area.

Her eyes followed the trail of blood to a puddle and then she barely had to look any further. There, resting in the puddle, was a white sleeve, the tip of it a deep red color.

The orbs of her blue eyes were rattling around as she raised her gaze. The sight in front of her was unexpected and heartbreaking.

A dying man.

Long silver hair was sprawled across the green grass with some of the parts tainted with the crimson liquid. He wore a white kimono that was stained near the stomach which she assumed was where his wound originated. One of his hands rested on his heaving chest while the other was limp by his side. On his right arm, the one that refused to move, there was a deep gash that ran from his elbow to his wrist, blood gushing out of it.

But none of those details held her attention and took her breath away as long as his face did. There, on his forehead, was a blue half moon.

Him. It was **him**.

He was – grown up. Injured. He was grown up and very injured.

She dared to press her palms against the ground before dragging herself closer to his body. His chest was barely rising which let her know he was having difficulty breathing. That wheezing sound that came out of him each time he tried was definitively not a good sign. He was quite out of it since he did not seem to sense her presence despite her closeness. He never tried to move away, he never even opened his eyes. Meanwhile, she felt her heart painfully hammering inside the confines of her chest.

She was almost touching a youkai! She never dreamed she would be this close to one!

Kagome bent forward, her hair fawning around her pale face while she glanced down to observe him. Regardless of how near death he was, he looked peaceful. His skin appeared to be glowing and his features were so – soft and gentle. She was used to her own kind – humans. They were all rough and full of scars and hatred growing inside their hearts. Anything marked them. But him? His skin was flawless, like even time itself could not affect him. She envied him.

Eventually, wrinkles would appear on her face and she would wither away before death claimed her. But not him. He had – what was it again? Oh yes, centuries. He had centuries ahead of him before he needed to concern himself with aging or even death. He had forever to live in this breath taking world, exploring every hidden corner, taking in every sights, every scent. He could not die since he had to live a long life… because he could.

Out of the blue, Kagome gasped while she felt smooth, cold, wet flesh touching her own. She peeked down at her hand, only to see it covered by his bloody hand, his fingers attempting to grasp her wrist. He was… moving? Her first reflex was to snatch her hand away. For years and years she was taught that they were dangerous. She might believe they were harmless but that did not change the instincts that were imposed upon her during her growing years.

She expected him to keep moving, but all he did was weakly search for her hand – or at least some sort of contact as to confirm that he was not alone, not dying here in this spot. His light red lips divided and a faint groan of pain escaped him while he attempted to speak. Unfortunately, she was unable to make out his words, despite her best efforts. She even leaned forward, hoping the lack of distance would make it easier.

"Do-do you need help?" she dared.

What a foolish question; obviously he did! Although she was not certain she could do much. She was used to healing humans, not youkais. How could she be certain that her remedies would work on him? Did he even need remedy? He could not die; they were strong, hard to kill. Their strength was the reason behind the existence of monks and priestess; their light and power was the source of their downfall. A wound… could it truly be fatal?

Then, he spoke again, this time with distinguishable words. "Do-n't. Stop."

"You do not need my help?" She was right, it could not be fatal. Did youkais heal better? Maybe they did not die until their time came and it was why they lived for so long?

Even with his current situation, he managed to gather enough strength to shock her by harshly slapping her hand away, sending blood splattering around and staining her white clothes. A small red bruise formed on the back of her hand and she knitted her eyebrows. He did not need to be this mean; she was simply trying to help him. Perhaps he recognized her aura and feared her because of her origins?

Her stubbornness hit another level and she decided that despite what he wanted, she would do something. Her lips were tightly pressed together when she turned around and dashed for the village. Once she found herself within the boundaries once more, she did her best to hide her panic. How was she supposed to take supplies without anyone noticing?

The garden!

She sneakily made her way to it and began frantically searching through every herb. There had to be something she could use on a youkai or to at least use to stop his bleeding! Then the bright magenta color caught her eye. Thistle! She delicately pulled a few that were on the edge the flourishing garden in a foolish attempt to make certain nobody would notice they were missing.

She then proceeded to stash them inside her attire and slowly turned around again. Her fast pace of her heartbeat allowed her to sense it all the way in her temple as it pulsed with each beat. Her chest rose rapidly while she returned to her previous location, completely undetected by her village. Almost to her surprise, he was still laying there upon her return.

While she was by his side with the herbs in her hand, she realized something. It needed to be mashed. She winced at her stupidity before glancing around for something to use. Luckily, a rock was nearby and she immediately retrieved it. She then laid the herbs on her legs and slowly mashed it, irritating her skin at the same time. She pushed the pain aside and continued until it looked like mush and then she tossed the rock away before scrapping the mixture off of her leg.

She stared at him, a blush creeping upon her cheeks as she realized there was only one way to obtain access to his wound. Kagome used her free hand to pull apart his torn clothes and she finally revealed the injury. A sword. That was the cause of his pain. Although, that did not explain the burnt marks all around the opening. Without wasting another moment, she began to apply the paste on his wound, ignoring the sight of his chest, even though it was the first time her eyes saw such a nude scene.

Once her hands were completely stained, but the wound covered, she dared to move closer. He was no longer moving which meant he had probably gone back into a state of unconsciousness. She knew she should pull away and leave him alone but…she simply wanted to take a better look at him, observe him; a youkai, so close. She waited years for him to return to this spot. To this day she did not know why he came here, both in his youth and now in time of trouble.

Her face was on top of his while she roamed her eyes over his features. His moon, his stripes, his white eyelashes and his pursed lips. Oh, how soft his markings appeared to be. She wanted to run her fingers over them, feel their smoothness beneath her fingertips but she did not dare. She might take a few risks and break a few rules but she was not that reckless.

Then, in a flash, his magenta painted eyelids rose and amber and blue clashed.

Before she could even gasp, his eyes closed again.

In a shock, she ran her tongue over her dry lips. Perhaps she tempted fate enough for today. She did break every rule and command she was ever taught already.

Still, there was no possible way she could leave him there to fend for himself. If someone from her village found him… she did not want to think about what would happen. However, how was she to know where he belonged? She was but a human and human were not to know where youkais lived. Nobody invaded each other's territory since it helped to keep the fragile peace.

Unless… there was a way to detect it. She learned it as a child. It was to be used in case they were lost and they wanted to avoid walking into the wrong territory by mistake. She turned around and grabbed the rock from earlier. Kagome decided that his village had to be close by; it was probably the reason why he came here to train. She spotted a spot without trees and then threw the rock in front of her as far as she could.

Eventually, it bounced back and indicated where his protective bubble was. Kagome stood up before bending down to grab his shoulders. She began dragging him as slowly as possible towards his home. She began panting, sweat dripping down her chest, forcing her clothes to glue to her skin. Moments passed before she was even close to it. Unfortunately, she was not allowed on the other side and it left her with only one answer; she had to roll him in.

Gathering all of her strength, she began pushing on his side while being mindful of his chest. No matter how she did it, she was aware that it would bring him pain. However, nothing was more dangerous than leaving him out in the open. She inhaled deeply before giving him one final push.

In front of her eyes, he disappeared. The invisibility swallowed him and then he was gone.

Kagome stood there for a moment as if she expected him to re-appear and thank her for her help. Of course he would not. As a matter of fact, it was probably best he never found out a priestess helped him during his time of need. Maybe he thought the way her people did and she did not want to know. She even refused to hold him accountable for his display of violence earlier; he was lost, injured and disoriented. The illusion of peace and gentleness was much better.

At least, they were fearless and free. They also seemed kind. It was all the information she needed.

Her heart was heavy with sorrow as she began to walk away. She did not come to a halt until she reached the familiar plum tree that allowed her to meet him for the first time all those springs ago. Once she arrived at that location, she tilted her head to the left. From her current position she could see the cave. Dented light grey rocks covered the entrance, darkness engulfing the inside. Supposedly, an evil being lived in it.

Some said he was a monk gone wrong, while other said he was a youkai cast away by his own people. Some even went as far as to claim he was half of each; a monster, a thing that should never be allowed to live. Nobody dared to visit him, or attack him. They just let him live there, never confirming the doubts and the suspicions. What if he was both? How were they going to destroy him? It was safer to not provoke him.

There was also more to his tale. Some whispered that he was the holder of the mysterious jewel. He was a monster of both worlds and he could hold it, find it and feel it. Through the years, it was said that this jewel, containing powerful youki and holiness could grant wishes when the balance was found. However, one wrong move and the destruction it promised for the world would happen.

Nobody wanted to retrieve it or touch it. Everyone who ever managed to found it, died. At least, it was the legend they all shared.

Only he could hold it, control it and for a price, he would let people use it. Unfortunately, it was nothing but a myth. Nobody tried it, and if someone actually did, then they never returned to tell the tale. After a while, they believe the tale of the wish was only a trick, a trap to attract loneliness, foolish, gullible souls to feed them to the jewel or worst – the monster.

Still she mused about it. Could he grant anything or was it nothing but a lie?

She held a wish deep in her heart, one that she never voiced or shared – if she did, she might lose her life, her family and everything that composed her lonesome life. Could he give her the freedom she craved? Could he let her explore the worlds she dreamed of for so many years? Kagome chuckled at her own stupidity. Wishes did not become reality. All she could do was live this life, in this village, following the same boring rules, doing the same tasks every day.

That was her life. There was nothing else, nothing more.

A lingering memory of his face remained in her mind while she returned to the garden. She would think about that and remember that he would live through all of it in her place because she saved his life. Through him, she would have the life she was not allowed to live.

Meanwhile, unknown to the village, someone was watching them, observing their every move. Deep inside the cave, the one no one dared to venture near, a man was laughing evilly. In front of him was a mirror that showed him the village. The edges were made of a dark wood with carvings taking the shapes of swirls and lines, representing a lost language only known to his mind. Currently, it was focused on one girl in particular; Kagome. It often followed her, showing her importance and he trailed her every movement, her every breath. Yes, he watched while she healed that youkai, and risked punishment for a stranger, for an enemy.

And it was perfect.

During the last centuries people began to fear him. He did enjoy the feeling of superiority and he fed off their fright, taking it in to make himself even more powerful. It used to be war that fueled him but once they became scared, they ceased their fighting and despite the dead bodies he dropped from time to time, they never began fighting again. At that point, he was forced to find another source of power and he did.

He also spread the rumors about himself, sometimes disguising himself as a human, other times as a youkai. It worked; they feared the monster in the cave. But unfortunately it did not benefit him. If people were scared of him, they did not come asking for wishes. Oh those wishes; how it fooled them. Not many were brave enough to verify the theories but, there were always foolish fools and once a full moon, he would obtain a victim.

He would always do the same deal, a wish for their soul. Of course, he would not collect it immediately, but once their life would turn to despair, he would take it from them and feed on it. That was true power.

The big mystery, the one secret these fools did not know was that the jewel knew what laid in their hearts. How else could it feed on their youki and holiness? Selfishness was not welcomed and once one wished for it, they obtained nothing but misery in return. Unless they redeemed themselves through their pain, they would end up with a fate worse than death.

And then, they would beg him to take away their soul and end their suffering.

It was always a great feast.

Now however, he only obtained a soul per decade. Priestesses and monks were no longer desperate for safety and they rather never have their selfish dream than die trying to find him. Youkais…they thought themselves invisible and rarely ever sought the help of someone to obtain their desires. But soon, their worlds would burn to the ground. He knew what Kagome wished for her in her heart and he would grant it to her. Then, once she would disappear, her village would think she was taken away from her own home.

Once fear was back in their lives, he knew they would come to him for wishes again or even only to see the jewel. Without the jewel, they would be unable to rage war upon each other. No longer would he have to starve and wait for his next meal in the dark and weak without power. All their souls, their powerful souls, would be his and he would devour every single one of them.

All he needed now was for Kagome to come along and ask her little selfish wish.

And he knew that would happen soon – because he would make it happen. He would drive her to the edge, allow her to slip into darkness without any escape and then he would watch her fall to her demise without being able to swim back to the surface, to the light.

His beautiful little priestess' downfall would be his triumph.

-T-


	2. Chapter 2

**The Little Priestess**

**Chapter 2: The Devil's Contract**

The sun was high in the sky while a gentle breeze was blowing through the small village. Near the edge of their little piece of tranquil paradise was Kagome with her back pressed against a tall, flourishing tree. Her eyes were closed tightly as she enjoyed the fresh air blowing through her hair while the flowers sprawled at her feet filled her nose with sweet scents of summer. She was supposed to bring them to her mother along with other herbs but she was not able to resist the urge. The calmness and the change of pace called out to her.

Over there was order and routine. Here was a bit of freedom.

"And what exactly do you believe you are doing?"

At the sound of the annoying voice snapping at her, Kagome resisted the urge to sigh; this girl was nothing but bad news and foul words. Slowly, she opened her eyes and did her best to smile at the girl that stood in front of her. "How are you today, Kikyo?"

Kikyo did not take kindly to her sarcastic response. She dressed the same way as Kagome, red hakama and a white haori. To make matters worst, even their faces were similar, although Kikyo's eyes shone a dark shade of brown and her pink lips were thinner. Her hair was just as long, though her bangs were cut straight rather than resembling Kagome's wild ones. They looked alike while being completely different. "As you are aware, some of us are working tremendously hard to protect everyone and heal our people."

"I am helping," Kagome said a little defensively. She completed her task, she did her part in the grand scheme of things. Kikyo had no reason to seek her and yell at her. Maybe she was taking a small break but it did not mean she did not care about other people. It was just that the people she lived with were driving her nuts.

"Oh I am awfully sorry. I could not tell by the way you were sleeping there while we are all hard at work."

Kagome fought the desire to roll her eyes and slowly rose to her feet, her getas kicking some dirt as she did so. It was very possible that if she kept going with this verbal fight, it would be endless. Kikyo was mean, stubborn and a stickler for the rules; the complete opposite of Kagome. As a matter of fact, because of her great powers, many believed that once she would reach sixteen summers she would be the next leader of their holy village.

It also happened that the person Kikyo hated the most was of course, Kagome.

Even when they were young, Kikyo disliked her. The moment they met, she glared at her for no reason. There was no escaping this spiral of hatred, no matter how many attempts she made to mend the situation, and Kagome mostly learned to simply follow along with it. Also, when she remained quiet, it enraged Kikyo. She was looking for a fight and something to blame on Kagome, and if she did not play her little game, she had nothing to pin on her. That alone did give Kagome a bit of satisfaction without actually provoking her.

"I see your behavior will never change."

"I see your attitude will never be friendlier."

"I do not need to be kind to those who value themselves over their own people. You always go off on your own, disregarding your tasks and everyone else. You cannot do this. If you cannot learn to do your task as a priestess properly, another task will be assigned to you."

"I can be a priestess just fine, thank you."

Yes, she was quite – the beginner, if the word was right, but she tried and she did provide help whenever she could. She did mess up sometimes, but who did not? Oh right, Kikyo did not. Kikyo was perfect, she was everything Kagome was not.

She kept hearing the mumblings of Kikyo as she insulted her, but Kagome tuned her out as she walked to the main town square. Already many women were there, boiling some of the herbs the children and other priestesses collected throughout the day in metal pots over a gentle fire where orange flames caressed fiery red ones. She gently put down the herbs she was carrying on one of the light maple wooden tables and offered a woman a smile before walking away.

This was nothing more than her first task of the day. She had many more to complete. One of them included helping the children with their clothes. That task did not bother her as much as the others. She did love children with all of her heart and being around them was much better than being around people her own age. It was with a lighter feeling in her chest, the guilt swooshing away, that she headed for the largest house in town.

Once she was inside, she found children running around the place along with a few older girls running after them. Clothes were piled up on the ground, ready to be distributed, and it was where she went. As soon as she sat down, a group of children began to surround her, sitting next to her and smiling at her with grins that contained gapping teeth. Her love for children was greatly rewarded by their own love for her.

She smiled, joy spreading, before she grabbed outfits and began to hand them out. The only sounds in the place were laughter and little footsteps all over the place. This was happiness; this was one of the rare times that she truly felt as though she belonged into this world. Children could lift the pain in her heart and gave her a true purpose that satisfied her. She could help without being reprimanded and the love she gave was given back.

Moments went by without any interruption and for once Kagome was not dreaming of another world. Obviously, the little break did not last for long since her mother made an appearance, ruining the bubble Kagome created for herself. By the look on her face, Kagome was able to tell she was in trouble. Despite her best efforts, her mother was always displeased one way or another.

"Kagome, dear please meet me outside," she softly spoke from a fair distance. The soft tone was unusual but Kagome chose to think nothing of it.

She gave her mother a tiny nod before getting up. She put down the clothes she was holding and headed in direction of her mother. To be honest, she wondered what exactly she did today. She did not mess up yet and she was not late for anything. Surprisingly, her tasks were getting done today which should have saved her from another yelling episode. Perhaps Kikyo complained about her?

It only took her a few moments to reach her mother. She was waiting by the side, her short dark hair tucked in behind her ears and her hands linked behind her back. Her attire was the same as Kagome as it was mandatory for every priestess. Exceptions were few. Her mother was staring ahead into the sky, concern floating in her brown eyes.

A tremble took hold of her hands and she felt her heart sink in the pit of her stomach. "Yes mother?" she asked as calmly as possible, hoping to shield her worries from her mother's eyes.

"We need to have a conversation about your future, Kagome." There was a remnant of rage in her voice and surprisingly no disappointment.

She blinked, forgetting to breathe. "What of my future?"

"It was brought to my attention that once again, you have failed to execute your tasks." There it was, the dissatisfaction tone Kagome expected.

"I have done everything that was asked of me!" she retorted.

"Yes, because Kikyo returned you to the right path." She was so ashamed that strangers constantly had to remind her daughter to do her work. Miyu was a good priestess, not the best but she always met the standards asked of her. Not only that but she was skilled with a bow and could spot herbs rather quickly. Her daughter was nothing like her and she was the only representing member of her family. Her husband passed away, his heart giving up rather young, and she was unable to have any other children.

Kagome was the only one who could bring her pride and honor and she only brought shame instead.

Kagome bit her lower lip; Kikyo spoke to her mother. What a surprise. "I was simply resting for a moment. I would have returned to my tasks soon without her intervention."

"Kikyo and I came to a conclusion," her mother added, completely ignoring her and her pleas to defend herself. "Perhaps this, the priestess work, is not exactly what you are suited for and we came up with another task that is much more suited for you and your…talents."

She felt her heartbeat slow down. "Something else?"

"Motherhood." She noticed her daughter's lips open, shock over taking her body and she quickly continued to explain her idea further. "We are all born priestesses, but it is not all our calling. But we do need more priestesses. You are a born mother, Kagome. You could raise find monks and priestesses."

Kagome felt rage stir up inside of her and she did not know how to express herself without completely transferring all of her rage unto her mother. She could raise children? Yes, she did love them, but stay stuck in a house all day long, pregnant and raising children? Never seeing the outside of her own house? Never exploring the world like she always desired?

She did want a family, it was one of her goals, but now? And like this? No she could not. She refused to be locked away like a prisoner. There was a difference between being a mother and being a breeding cow. If she led this kind of life she would be pregnant time and time over until she could no longer produce children. This was no life. It was a sentence, a punishment.

"Mother, I strongly disagree. I do not believe that kind of life is for me," she expressed while stressing each word.

"Oh my apologies," her mother said with a small smile. "It was not a suggestion, Kagome. I was simply informing you of what is to take place. We already found your husband."

"My husband," she repeated, her chest heaving with each breath she took. How nice of her mother to take time to inform her of life changing decision.

"His name is Hojo. You probably know of him already."

Hojo? Hojo? The man was – well he was nice and kind but he was awfully boring! He simply went along as if he had no opinions of his own and followed everything he was told to do like he could not think for himself. He was the kind of husband who would suit someone like Kikyo. He was not meant for someone like her. How could she live with such a man? Where was the rush, the thrill? The escape from the routine? This was not what love was supposed to be.

"Mother, I will not marry Hojo!"

"I already told you Kagome, it is not your decision to make. We have already spoken with him and you should be happy to know he is thrilled about this. Kami only knows why." She was irritating, disrespectful and failed to most of her duty.

Then again, her daughter was beautiful and had amazing, rare blue eyes. She was certain that if it was not for those attributes, it would be impossible to marry her off. They could have found her a commoner to marry but priestesses were a rarer breed and they needed to pro-create with others of their own kind to make sure the holiness was passed down from generation to generation.

"You cannot just marry me off," Kagome replied with tears of rage stinging her eyes. "This is not what I want."

"No, what you desire is a fantasy world in which you are all alone, free to be out in the world. Well, this world is dangerous Kagome. I am simply trying to protect you from your illusions. If you were out there, you would be dead. You should thank me."

"You do not know about this world. How can you say this when you do not even know what it is really like?"

"I know what it is like! Why do you think you do not have a father? It is because of the monsters that live out there! He was forced him to fight even when his body could no longer take it. They helped his death."

"They are not monsters!" They could not be! She saw him!

Her mother's expression quickly transformed and seemed to be one of horror. "Excuse me young lady? They are not monsters? What is it that you wish? To be one of those killers? How can you turn your back on your own people? Are you so heartless that you do not care about what they did to us?"

"Maybe we did this to them. Maybe we made them hate us." Outrage was expressed through each of her words. Why was her mother stubborn? Why could she not see that perhaps there was another way, another world that was not all evil?

Kagome's mother's eyes turned red with wrath and she took a step forward. She lifted her hand and pointed her index at her daughter's face. "We did nothing. They are beasts; they are ungodly creatures! If you wish to be on their side, then you are no daughter of mine. It is clear I have let your behavior slip for too long. You will marry Hojo. I do not care what you say or what you want. You will become a wife, have children and raise them to be the complete opposite of you."

She took a deep breath before backing away from Kagome. Her outrage was forcing a quake in her hand. It was thankful that nobody was in hearing shot; how ashamed she would be if anyone could hear this conversation. She was mortified. "I will force some sense into you any way I have to, young lady. I will carry you screaming and kicking if I have to, but you will do as I say. You better prepare yourself for this wedding. It is clear it must happen much sooner than I anticipated."

She could not give her daughter any time to run away, to fight this or to turn this into a public viewing.

While her mother rudely walked away, Kagome felt like her face was on fire. It was probably a bright red color and her agony caused her to have a flash of heat as she could feel the stickiness of her skin. Why was she never listened to? Why was it that everything she said was dismissed as crazy? She was not going to marry Hojo! She was not going to be a good little wife like her mother wanted her to be!

There was nothing wrong with her. There was something wrong with everybody else!

Her entire small, frail body was trembling with wrath and her hands were clenched into fists. The tears of anger were threatening to spill but she held them back. She did not want her mother to obtain such a violent reaction out of her but it was nearly impossible to hold back all of the feelings swirling within her. If she had to hold it in any longer, she might die from the pressure.

Before she dug a hole in the ground because of the heat radiating from her body, she stepped away. Away from the house, away from the town; she never wanted to see any of it ever again. She needed to put as much distance as possible between herself and her mother. She needed to leave before she was turned into a mindless slave tied down to mindless man.

Without another thought, she ran. She had no destination, no goal, no thoughts. She was simply running away from it all.

-L-

The plan was in motion.

He sat on the ground of his dark cave with a smile on his lips. The mirror shone in his hands and he held on to it a bit tighter. Because of this magical device he was able to witness the whole scene that sent his little priestess into a flying rage. Everything was going as planned. For a long time now, he trained his little spy and it was finally paying off.

Kikyo, his lovely Kikyo.

She greatly resembled his Kagome. Of course, she had dull brown eyes and a colder beauty, but it was still a strange occurrence that she was a look a like to his little priestess. The universe was granting him gifts and he was going to make good use of them. She was a great distraction at the moment since he could not have his prize. She obeyed him without question and executed all of his orders with perfection.

Although, he would have to admit it was not because of his great persuasion skill and it might have something to do with the spell he cast on her. The priestess sought him a while back, but not because she had a wish. She looked for him because she wanted to kill him. Apparently she believed he was nothing but a source of dark power. How ridiculous. All he did was help people, there was nothing wicked about that.

How witless of her to believe she could kill him. She was but a mere insect without any power at all.

Nonetheless, it provided him with an opportunity he did not miss out on. He made her his. He stole her heart and controlled her empty shell, taking her as his slave, as his toy into this little game. Now, not only did he have someone on the inside, but soon enough she would control the town and then all of it would be his. They would never even know.

Almost all of it since he also needed his little priestess by his side.

Obviously, it was impossible for him to obtain her when she was so pure and untainted. He could do to her what he did to Kikyo, but it would be no fun and he would not be able to appreciate his prize. He did not wish for a puppet, he wished for a companion, a lover. Her beauty and her eyes made her desirable along with her heart. She did not want what they wanted; she was different and he felt it pulse through her every time she ventured outside her little bubble.

For the last little while, he made Kikyo speak with Kagome's mother, trying to convince her to marry the girl off. It was clear that Kagome did not want this life, but she would not want the life of a wife either. At least, not the kind of wife her mother would force her to be. He needed to push her enough to lead her to him. As long as she ventured in the vicinity of his cave, he would be able to attract her inside.

Then, making a deal would be a breeze. He would even be kind in his proposition.

He did not even see a flaw in his plan. Yes, he was offering her everything she wanted which meant he might not get her, yet he knew that in the end she would come back to him. In exchange for her wish, something would be taken from her, and he had a feeling it would be too much to bear. Eventually, she would realize how miserable life was on the other side, and she would beg him for some happiness.

Kindly, he would give it to her.

For now, he would calmly wait in the shadows like he always did.

"You must get her here."

Kikyo bowed to him. "Yes, master."

She might get lost with all that running and he wanted to make sure she would land in the right destination. A little help never hurt.

He dismissed the girl with a gesture of his hand and watched as she slowly exited his den. He could almost taste Kagome's lips against his own and it made his body shiver. Soon, the girl would be his.

Patience was key.

-L-

The sun was lowering in the horizon, darkness quickly spreading, as Kagome finally came to a halt. Her head was spinning while she pressed her palms against her knees. She was not sure how long she ran for, but she was completely out of breath, a dizzy spell clouding her head. She inclined her head backwards while inhaling deeply. Despite the work out she did to clear her mind, it was still filled with rage.

She knew the moment she would return to the village her mother would continue along with her plans of marrying her off to Hojo. Kagome had yet to come up with a solution for this dilemma. Although, if she were to be honest, she would admit that there was no solution. She could not live on her own in the wild world. She had nothing. If she went back to her mother, her only option, no matter how much she would kick and scream, would be to marry this Hojo.

Kagome ran her fingers through her damp hair before dropping to her knees. Her heart ached for the world she would never have. Tears formed in her blue eyes, stinging, while she grasp at the red fabric of her hakama, crisping it into bundles of fabric. Her hair was tangled by the wind and sweat as it messily clung to her. Her body wavered, her red lips quivering, and then she finally let the tears drop. They rolled down her cold, velvet skin, dropping onto the dirt, tainting it further dark.

"Kagome."

The sound of that voice was enough to make her shiver in choler. Not this again. Not Kikyo. Did the woman follow her everywhere just to make her life even worse?

"Kikyo, not now, please, not now." It nearly sounded like begging and she nearly did not care.

Kikyo held back the smile that was attempting to form on her dusty pink lips. She watched as the weaker miko was puffing and taking deep breaths, her cheeks a bright red. Victory never tasted this sweet; it was too easy.

"It is quite rude of you to run off instead of coming to meet your future husband."

The words Kikyo used caused Kagome to curl her toes to help her control her anger. "I am not going to marry him."

"It is not your decision. Your mother and his parents have already decided for you. It would be even ruder not to go through with your duty. Do you not care about your people at all?"

"What I do is none of your concern. I am free to lead my life as I please. And this has nothing to do with whether I care or not." This was about Kikyo obtaining what she desired; as always.

Kikyo scoffed to muffle her chuckle. "But you are not. You must do as you are told. And this is why you can never be part of our world. You are selfish, and you do as you please." Her eyes darkened while she took a step in direction of Kagome. "I will not let you ruin the legacy of this village. We have a duty and it comes before everything else."

Kagome felt like Kikyo was trying to over power her which led her to stand back up. She did not care for the respect other people had towards Kikyo. Kagome simply did not trust her or like her.

"I do my duty, I help. I simply want more than you do. I do not judge others like you do. I thought we were carrying a message of peace, yet all you carry around is hatred."

Kikyo smiled. "If you do not wish to go to your husband, I will bring him to you."

Without uttering another word, Kikyo turned around with rage still boiling inside. She was not supposed to fight with the girl; she was simply supposed to trap her in a corner to force her to run away. She had to admit however that the thought of finally shutting her and her loud mouth for good was tempting. Unfortunately, she would not risk upsetting the master.

"I am not going to marry him," Kagome exclaimed with fury, fire spiting out of her mouth with each word she spoke.

Still, despite her words Kikyo's speed never slowed down. Kagome pinched her lips together so hard that they turned white before she spun around. If Kikyo spoke to her mother and future husband, they were going to drag her back. She could not go back there, she did not want to. She was tired of being called selfish when they were the ones preparing for an unnecessary war.

They did not even know if the enemy wanted this fight. Yet there they were, ready to destroy mothers, children and fathers. It was wrong. Nobody from her village trusted youkais, yet she saw a youkai training on their grounds without even thinking about attacking them! It was clear they saw a truth her people did not see. How could they be so blind?

She swallowed hard before deciding she would run again. She had no other home, and she clearly had nowhere to go, but she would run. Somehow, she hoped there would be freedom in this escape, a hidden answer she could not see. Her feet began to move before her brain realized that she made her choice. She headed straight ahead and never looked back. Her heart pounded loudly and echoed in her head while her blood pumped fast which made her feel dizzy.

It was rush of energy.

Her speed never slowed down, at least not until she reached a barrier. In front of her was a mountain, standing tall, the tip hidden from her sight by the clouds. This was the cave was it not? At least, it appeared to be the same one she always saw from her favorite tree. It was that thing's cave. The one who was not human, who was not youkai and granted wishes. The monster everyone feared. Then again, everyone she knew was afraid of creatures they should not fear.

Could this truly be a possible option? Nobody returned from here. Nobody ventured this far and lived to tell about it. Then again, what other option did she have? Perhaps it was all lie, perhaps he was simply an outcast like she was.

After all, she left without a clue or answer.

She licked her lips, her breasts rising with each breath she took. A fluttery feeling formed in her stomach and she felt the twitch of her muscles in her hands. She dared to take a step forward, slowing down her pace from before. Once she was nearly in front of the entrance, a gently purple glow began to surround the place. A glow? A purple glow? This was no youkai.

She carefully headed inside and rested her delicate hand on the edge of the entrance. A sudden desire to flee bubbled in her chest but she kept her grip locked, forcing herself to remain still. "Is anybody there?" No answer. "Excuse me?"

"Kagome," a voice said with a chilling tone that sent shivers down her spine. "I thought you would never make it here."

She gulped, regretting her previous decision to stay; did it know her name? "Excuse me?" she inquired while trying to inspect the shadows, obtain to discern a shape. Instead, all her human eyes allowed her to see was the rough edges of the rock ceiling and the never ending darkness.

"Oh, I owe you an apology my lady. We have never met. They call me Naraku."

He finally revealed himself to her as he took the final step into the light. Purple lights were radiating from his body, giving him a sort of halo as he stood tall in front of her. Long wavy pitch black hair was cascading down his shoulders and chest, framing his narrow face while his bright red eyes glimmered while he stared at her. A purple kimono covered his body, the whole attire tied by a black obi. It dragged behind him, the bottom torn and tattered by his lack of care.

"Please, come in," he offered when she did not move, her eyes scanning his whole body.

"I think – I am sorry. I made a mista-ke," she managed to say while trying to back away. She did not know what it was, but it was not a monk. Then again, he did not have the same energy as a youkai. The rumors were true; he was neither. His voice begged her to trust him but she could not ignore the alarms sounding off in her head; she should not be here.

He inclined his head to the side while an expression of surprise took hold of his features. His fingers grazed his parted lips, an incredulous look in his eyes "You are not looking for freedom? My mistake. You may leave."

"H-how-"

"How did I know? I did not. But this did."

It was time for the reveal. He pulled his hand from his side, allowing his dark blue sleeve to hang free and then showed her his palm. In the middle of it was a dark purple jewel, so suffocated by darkness that it did not shine; it remained dull.

"The Shikon," she said in a whisper.

It was supposed to not actually exist. Everyone trusted it was true and it did put an end to the useless, bloody war but – nobody laid eyes upon it. They suspected he had it but nobody ventured this far. Nobody dared to risk the faith of the world on a whisper. This tiny little jewel could bring the end, chaos and doom. And yet in her eyes all she saw was fragility. Her heart leaped and she actually dared to lean forward.

All the rumors were true. Did that mean everything was true? Could she truly be in the wrong?

"I see you have heard of it. It knows what you want, it can give it to you."

"In exchange for what?" She was well aware that nothing was free. If this jewel's purpose was destruction then it would not bring happiness without expecting something in return. There had to be a price.

He chuckled at her question. "The jewel only takes something you have. It will take but a useless thing from you. Nothing you should miss and if you are deemed worthy, you will retrieve it." Nobody was worthy, nobody was pure.

"Useless?"

"I prefer the darkness. Light is quite irritating ever since I wished upon the jewel." Lies, lies. Manipulation was the truest gift of them all. It allowed him to accomplish every other dream he had.

Kagome found herself stuck. The wilderness would not be kind and she would not survive it. However, returning to her village was no longer an option. She refused to be stuck in a house all day long, doing someone else's bidding, heavy with children until she was old. She wanted to be her own person with her own choices.

Now, she was offered a chance to make a change for herself, a choice that would give her what she wanted. A choice that could change her life, one that could give her the life she craved, and long for – a wish that had to be made on the one thing that she truly believed to be dangerous. Could she do it? Could she risk angering the kamis, using the jewel and turning her life upside down? Was her selfish desire that strong that it could no longer be ignored?

Her pulse raced and she heard the sound of heartbeat trashing in her ears. Her skin was clammy from the copious amount of sweat escaping her pores. "I will," she answered with a croak voice, nearly unable to speak.

He did his best to hide his smile, but it was impossible. His precious little priestess was there, ripe for the taking.

"I must warn you. If you do ask for the wish I believe you want, there is no turning back. They are not the same. Once the darkness taints you, there will be no way for you to return to this world – your world."

"I understand." Why would she return? How could she go back there if she left?

"In the eventuality that the world you wished for is not what you desire and you cannot bear it any longer, I will make you a deal." Pleasure jolted through his body. Yes, the deal. "You can return to me if you do not enjoy their world. I will relieve you from your pain, but you will need to remain by my side. That is my price to let you use my jewel."

If – if she wanted to give up everything she dreamed of and no longer be a youkai she had to be his? One glance at him was enough to let her know he was not to be trusted and he was rather creepy; he held the jewel, he touched the darkness and lived. There could be nothing good about him – despite the fact that she was deciding to trust him. However, she could not see a situation where she would not want it anymore. Even if she found herself alone, she would have powers to defend herself; she did not need anyone!

Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to part her lips to give him an answer. She needed this wish. She came too far to turn around. "Deal."

His smirk grew even more in size as he extended his hand to her to allow her to shake it. His hands were rough, brushing her palm but she completed the shake. Once she did, he used his grip on her to bring her closer to his body.

"Ready, priestess?" He pressed the jewel forcefully against her palm. "Time to wish."

Youkai. It was the only word that crossed her mind before the pain began. Suddenly she felt like a swirl of wind was wrapping around her body and pushing her away from the strange man-youkai. She was violently tossed against the ground, her bones cracking beneath the crash before the suffering increased and the transformation started.

Abruptly, she was overtaken by the sensations of knives digging in her flesh, hacking away at the skin. It was jagging through her flesh from her elbows to her wrists on both sides, blood spilling from the wounds, gushing the warm liquid all over her. More carving happened on her face, this time in the shape of stripes on top of her eyelids and she felt like her face was covered in blood, the tip of the blades digging into her eyeballs, splitting them open. Fangs were pushing their way through in her mouth which caused her to scream in agony, the gum tearing as they emerged.

Her body was twisted around on the ground and she jolted up with each new wave of pain. She could hear herself yelling for it to stop, but it seemed like it was only happening in her mind since no actual words made it past her lips. The torment was terribly intense and it apparently left her voiceless. She felt nausea, the sensation too much to take for her small, fragile body.

When she thought the anguish could not be worse, it happened. Suddenly, needles were pricking her eyes, poking them, bleeding them out and suddenly the feeling of blade sticking through him felt like a break. It did not cease, the agony dragging on until finally her shiny blue orbs disappeared and her eyes turned completely white. She opened her eyes repeatedly, but no matter how many times she tried, she could not see anything.

She was blind.

Another cry of despair rolled off her lips and tears formed in her new pearly white eyes.

This. Blindness. It was her price for her heart's desire? She wanted to see the world, she wanted to see their world, and now her eyes were taken from her? He said it would be useless, he said she would not need it! HE LIED! HE LIED!

No matter how many seconds went by, the pain did not subdue. At this point, it was as if her entire body was coated in a thick layer of blood, leaving nothing but the red crimson liquid in view instead of flesh. Her mind was dizzy, the pain numbed her body and she was rendered sightless.

Inhuman cries of pain were coming from deep within her chest, rumbling her rib cage, but they were barely audible to the human ears.

She wanted it to stop. She needed it to stop.

One more breathe, one more shock of suffering.

Then her eyes closed and even her mind became darkness.

-L-


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Chapter 3, we are finally getting somewhere!

**The Little Priestess**

**3. The Poisoned Apple**

A heavy pounding filled her mind and forced her to gently bring a hand to her head. She pressed her other hand against the luscious grass and attempted to push herself up. It was not until she blinked a few times that her predicament dawned upon her. She was blind. Even now, she was able to feel the daggers poking at her eyes; the pain never faltered.

Her biggest desire was to see _their_ world but she would never be able to now. He took that right away from her. She gave up her sight for... nothing. After all, she did not feel any different. Oh actually, yes, she did feel different; she was able to feel blood pouring from her wrists and face – even her eyes. The pain in those areas pulsed through her with such intensity that she firmly believed someone carved her flesh open. He did not grant her wish: he left her there lost and blind. He left her there to die.

Tears formed in her sightless eyes and she choked up.

She stretched both of her hands beside her body and tried to feel something, _anything_. Kagome was unsure if the emptiness surrounding her was a good or bad situation. Giving up, she fell down on her rear and sighed. She was left to herself; returning to her village was no longer an option. First of all, she did not know her way there since it was clear the evil man moved her away from his cave. Second of all, they would not accept her. At least not after what took place.

She was tainted; she could tell. It was swirling inside of her, filling her insides and it made her sick to her stomach. She let the darkness in – no worse; she wished it inside of her. She was nauseated and she wanted to claw it out of her guts.

_Claw._

Kagome felt up the tip of her digits only to be rewarded by pointy sharp claws. Apparently, he did _transform _her body. Did that make her a youkai? If it did, she was a pretty useless one. Even without her sight should she not be able to tell her own location? Smell the air? Or was that something that came with practice… or worst was it all nothing but myths and legends?

For the love of Kami, why would she wish for this? She did not know the first thing about being a youkai. She went into it without a clue in the world. Now she was lost and alone without anywhere to go. She might as well as stayed as a priestess living in the forest. A lonesome, blind youkai could not live in this world; she could not even find the villages.

Kagome rested her palms against the cool grass and slowly inhaled. It might be morning, it might be night; she could not tell. Maybe she was sitting in the shade or maybe she was on the edge of a dangerous cliff. Although…being a youkai now the only really dangerous areas where were humans were…which could be anywhere at this point.

She raised her arms and pressed her hands against her cheeks. Carefully, she ran her claws over her flesh, feeling and inspecting everything. There were no scars on her face, simply smooth skin. She did have pointy ears though and perhaps markings; it was impossible to tell from touch alone. Despite the pain spreading through her wrists and other areas there were no wounds…which did nothing to explain why she felt blood pouring out and running down her skin.

Kagome kept rubbing her arms to try and wipe off the imaginary blood. She wanted to crawl out of her own skin. This was – she was something else. She was no longer pure or a priestess; her powers left her. Was she full youkai? Or was she a monster like the thing that took away her sight? Her bottom lip began to quiver and once again tears stung her eyes.

She dropped her left hand to her side and suddenly, she felt something soft beneath her fingertips. _Silk_. She glided her hand further until she realized it was a kimono. _Oh. Oh!_ She was still wearing her priestess attire! She would not make for a very realistic youkai in those. However, there was one question; could she change in here? In the middle of nowhere where someone could see her? Her teeth sunk in her bottom lip and her heart skipped a beat.

Neither options were very pleasing. If she encountered someone while wearing her white haori and red hakama, she would have a lot of explaining to do. Then again, baring her body to the world…

Nakedness it was.

Her hands were shaking as she tried to find her obi. Slowly, she untied it and let it drop to the ground. She did the same with the rest of her clothes, while a thin layer of sweat formed on her palms, making them moist. It did not help that each time she touched her skin, she felt like she was leaving a streak of blood behind. Once she was bare, the cold wind blowing against her flesh, she grabbed the kimono from the ground.

She struggled for a few moments, nearly unable to find how to put it while her eyes were blind. Awkwardly, and after ripping a few holes in it with her claws, she managed to _somewhat_ wrap it around her body. Her fingers fumbled with the obi but she ended up knotting it. Or at least she hoped she did. She probably looked like a mess.

There was only one problem; what to do with her old clothes?

For a lack of better option, she began digging the ground beside her with her hands. The claws made the task much easier. She used her hands, shoving them in the hole, to determine that it was deep enough. Kagome then scrambled for her clothes, hoping she got them all and put them down inside. She covered it the best she could with her lack of sight and sighed before leaning back.

She was not going to survive this.

Tears stung at her burning eyes, a tremble quaking her entire body.

"I wouldn't relax around here."

As soon as she heard the voice, she jumped out of skin and nearly dropped forward. Panic took hold of her and she held her breath, her heart thumping in her chest. Kagome stretched her arms in front of her in an attempt to locate the stranger but it was without hope since all she touched was emptiness despite the way she was swinging her arms around.

"A lot of priestesses and monks hunt around h-" The unknown man stopped mid sentence. He breathed in heavily. "Are you alright?" she heard him ask.

Kagome gulped. Should she speak? From the way he was talking, and not afraid of her; he had to be a youkai. She was one of them now and she should not be scared. On top of that, she did need quite a lot of help at the moment. Would it be wrong of her to ask for his help? Was that something youkai did or it would make her appear rather odd and suspicious?

"I- my eyes. I cannot see."

She listened as his feet ruffled the grass around her. His presence was easily felt while he stood in front of her. She heard his knees crack ever so slightly as he bent down to her level. Strong, firm hands grasped her face and tilted her head backwards. His fingers were soft, like silk, and his touch was almost comforting while he glided his digits near her eyes. She shivered while his action felt like a caress.

"That's not an injury," he stated with a hint of concern in his voice. "Ma- uh, did a monk do this to you?"

No, not a monk, _a monster._ She was about to open her mouth to answer truthfully when suddenly, she wondered. The truth could not be spoken. They would leave her, chase her away as if she was an outcast. No, she could not tell the truth. To them, she had to be a full youkai, born that way. Her life as a priestess had to be chased away from her mind.

"I th-ink so," she lied.

"You don't remember?"

_No. Yes. No_. "No." She heaved, her skin itched and her body temperature was rising. Lying made her uncomfortable.

"Uh." He remained silent for a while before releasing her face. "I'll just take you back to the other Inuyoukais. They'll be able to help you."

"Inuyoukais?" she quickly said with a surprised tone.

"Yes. Inuyoukais, you know your people…"

Her eyes widened in surprise. _Oh. Right._ She was a youkai now. And she should know what kind of youkai she was. It would be easier with a working pair of eyes. At least that mystery was solved. An Inuyoukai. Those were the dog ones right?

"You… don't know what you are?"

She guessed by his question that she looked very shocked. "I – I don't remember much." She did not have a past as a youkai, which meant that technically she was not _lying._ Not that it mattered at this point since being truthful represented nothing when such darkness was growing inside of her. "Actually…I do not remember anything," she added, saddened.

"Your family?"

"No." The people she left behind forever because of a foolish dream? She remembered them well.

"Your name?"

She did not want a new name; she wanted _her_ _own _name. It might be dangerous but… "I- I think it is Kagome."

"_Kagome_,_" _he repeated slowly. "Well, Kagome, I'm Kouga."

She experienced his touch again when he grabbed her arm delicately. "Come on Kagome, let's get you up."

He knew she could walk but he was afraid that her lack of instincts was too great for her to get up on her own. He noticed right away that her youkais senses were affected since she never noticed his presence until he spoke. Granted, it appeared she went through quite an ordeal. Hopefully, her pack was going to look after her properly.

Kouga did not have the first clue when it came down to _which_ Inuyoukai tribe she belonged to but he figured any of them would do for the time being. Inu were probably like ookamis…they looked after their own no matter what. And if that was not really the case well then, they could figure out where she _really_ belonged. At least she would be out of harm's way.

Kagome clutched to the stranger's arm as he guided her through… wherever she was. His arm was the only thing preventing her from falling face first on the ground. If she thought she lacked grace as a human, it was nothing compared to now. Without her sight she felt useless. She stumbled upon every rock, she got stuck on every wild branch and each time something brushed up against her she went rigid, as though death was upon her.

It did terrify her to appear weak. After all, youkais were known to be strong and merciless. Nonetheless, she felt like this man, this _Kouga_, was kind. She could not see him but it was as if she could sense his soul pulsing through her. He was worthy of her trust she was sure of it. All that she had to rely on her was touch and smell. He did smell wonderful, a scent of pinecone and fresh morning dew. And his touch – it was not like the thing's skin, no Kouga's hands were soft, warm and kind.

Since she was unable to see him, Kouga found himself glancing her way quite often. He wondered how long she was left by herself in the wild. One quick look and you could see how skinny she was. She barely had any meat on her bones. He also peeked at her neck only to notice it was void of any _marks_. She was not mated.

"So, nothing but your name uh?"

She shook her head.

"You were pretty close to a human village. I wouldn't put it past them to do this. Though, I didn't know they were _that_ powerful." Their attacks were strong but it never did anything that _damaging_ before – at least not without incurring death.

We are not. "I cannot remember." It was becoming her go-to response. She did not know what else to say. If she made up a story he would be able to tell she was lying.

"I will not harm you."

Confusion appeared on her face and she glanced his way despite her lack of sight.

He chuckled. "Your aura is _bare_. I can feel your nervousness." She was not even trying to hide herself and her emotions and he assumed the shock she suffered was what threw her off.

It was even quite a surprise that humans did not finish her off; she was in a poor state. Nonetheless, she had strength; he could feel it deep within her. Once she would get back on her feet, she would be better. Plus, if she survived such an attack she could not be completely useless. Then again, if she could not remember any of her training… she was fairly useless now.

Meanwhile Kagome chewed on her lip. Her aura? She assumed it worked the same as the one holy beings had… except in this case you had to be careful. It was much more significant as a youkai than a human. It was going to make this more difficult since she did not know how to hide her feelings. Changing, transforming…it did not come with a crash course.

A bit more time went by, though Kagome could not tell how much since she could not see the sun. She thought perhaps she would feel its heat on her skin, but she never did.

Then, Kouga came to a halt and she nearly bumped into his sturdy back.

"We have arrived."

This situation was delicate and he was uncertain of how to proceed. These were not his territories and though wolves and dogs were not at war, they were not the best of friends. It was touchy to simply allow himself to walk their lands. Then again, he did have a reason for it. Hopefully, they would not react unpredictably or with force.

Kagome experienced a rush of feelings and it took her a few seconds to realize it was coming from Kouga. This time, it was _her_ turn to sense his emotions. Calmness, obedience and a bit of stress laced through it. She assumed it was on purpose since it was the first time she caught feel of it since they began their little journey. He would not let his guard down without a reason.

"Wolf, explain your presence."

Kagome almost yelped at the sound of a foreign voice. She clutched her fingers around Kouga's arm and pressed her body against his, her breasts digging into his back. This time, he stiffened.

"I found her," he spoke calmly. Ignoring the feel of her tiny body against his own. "She was attacked, by humans."

She resisted the urge to wince. The last thing she wished for was to spark an unnecessary fight between humans and youkais. They did not need any more reasons to hate each other. She did not want to provoke her mother's foretelling. However, it was impossible for her to claim it was not humans since she _technically_ was not supposed to have memories of her attack.

"At least, we think so. She lost all her memory."

Next thing Kagome knew, claws were on her face. A rough hand took hold of her chin and tilted her head left and right. He was inspecting her and his touch was nothing like Kouga's. Why did she have to be an inuyoukai? She would much prefer it if she could remain by Kouga's side. Moments went by, but the strange man never let go of her face, as though he was thinking, trying to remember her. Except, nobody was going to recognize her…

"I have never seen her before." It did not seem like she belonged to any of the packs. Perhaps she was a loner.

He released Kagome's face and turned around to look at Kouga. "Thank you, Wolf. You may leave."

Kouga's glance shifted from Kagome to the strange Inuyoukai before he sighed. These were her people, she would be safe with them and yet he did not want to let go of her. Of course, there were no other options so he nodded. He did not know her and her memories would surely return. She probably had a life and he was not going to start trouble over a woman. He freed his arm from Kagome's hold and watched her arm fall into emptiness.

She resisted the urge to reach out for him. It would be pointless; she could not even locate him.

"She is blind," Kouga mentioned in case the other youkai did not notice. "It is a result of her attack." He inhaled deeply. "Goodbye Kagome."

All he left behind were sounds of his footsteps. She remained frozen in position, listening to him walking away. It was not until the noises faded away completely that she heard the stranger move.

"I am Hoshiyomi."

"K-kagome."

A rough and rugged hand grasped her and began to guide her; he was not leading, he was dragging her, tugging her his way. She followed, stumbling quite often, while he forced her to follow at rapid speed. Again, she decided that she was turned into the wrong kind of youkai. Kouga was much kinder than this Hoshiyomi and she already missed his comforting presence.

The further they walked, the more scents attacked her sensitive nose. She did not like it. How did they deal with this many smells assaulting them all the time? Sometimes it was terribly overwhelming, casting a dizzy spell on her head. How could she focus on anything else when her nose was stuffed?

"I am taking you to Inutaisho. He is the alpha leader of our clan and he will know what to do with you."

She _almost_ gulped. He made it sound like she was about to be punished for her predicament. Hopefully, the _leader_ was nice.

Suddenly, he came to a halt which caused Kagome to crash into him, her face hitting his back. He did not move but she nearly winced. Pain? Was she not supposed to be a powerful youkai now? She barely held on to his fingers while he moved around.

"We are here to see Inutaisho."

Silence was all she heard until finally there was the clicking sound of metal objects hitting each other echoing in the vicinity. Then, doors opened – at least they _sounded_ like doors.

Once more, Kagome was pulled along like a rag doll and she could do nothing but follow. At first she was sad, depress and confused but now, she was getting slightly irritated. In this new _body,_ it was an empowering feeling, one that was giving her re-new strength. It was almost enough to overshadow her constant pain and the feeling of knives digging in her skin, the one that never stopped.

"Inutaisho, the Wolf was here to bring this girl."

Using his hold on her hand, he threw her forward. The moment he released her hand Kagome lost her balance and fell down on all four, her head smacking against what felt like a wooden floor. Her heart began to hammer loudly in her chest and she roamed her hands over the floor trying to get a feel of her surroundings. Seriously, where all inuyoukais rude? He did not have to toss her, he could have told her to move forward.

While tapping the floor around her, she handed up touching a foot. When did someone get so close to her? How did she not hear it? The man grabbed her shoulders and helped her on her feet with one swift motion. His touch reminded her of Kouga's and it lessened her anger slightly. Perhaps there was some kindness in this pack.

"What is your name, child?"

"Kagome."

"What happened to you?"

"I-I do not remember. I was attacked."

He pressed his thumbs on her eyes, forcing her to close them. Pain was her world and she had not realized her eyes were opened. All she felt was blood coating her face. "They took your sight."

She nodded.

"We will take care of you, Kagome."

Once he spoke those words, she felt warmth enveloping her and suddenly, she was fuzzy inside. He sound genuinely sincere and considering the situation she was in, she needed that. And help. She definitively needed a lot of help. She did feel guilty for lying but there was nothing she could do about that. Actually, there _was_ but it would not help and it might even get her killed.

Although, death did not sound like the worst fate at this point.

"Thank you."

He lifted his hand and pressed it against her forehead. It was then that the fuzzy feeling transformed and she began to feel as if she was _heavy_. Her eyelids began to close and she was powerless to stop it. The pain was soothed away for a brief instant, and she reveled in the newfound peace. Before she knew it, she felt into unconsciousness.

-L-

"Her small wounds have been taken care of. There is nothing I can do about her eyes. I am afraid it is permanent."

The voice sounded somewhat distorted but Kagome was able to make out the words nonetheless. They were clearly talking about her. Wait. How did – where was she? The last thing she remembered was speaking with Inutaisho then nothing else. She suddenly sat up in the bed, panicked. She could not see and she was afraid to step off whatever she was laying on in case she was above ground. Kagome swallowed hard before gliding her hands around, trying to find the edge. Quickly, a hand stopped her movements.

"Calm yourself child, you are safe," a woman's voice said. "I am Izayoi and I looked after your injuries."

Involuntarily, tears began to burn her eyes. Each time she woke up, she was reminded of her curse, of the price she paid to be torn from everything she knew. This was no way to live.

"Thank you," Kagome said while trying to sit. "Wh-where am I?"

"You are in my and Inutaisho's home."

The alpha took her into _his_ home? She was no sure how it worked with youkai but she figured it was not a normal occurrence. Why would they take her in like this? Why would they take in a _liar_ like her? It only made the guilt swirling in her gut deepen. She did not deserve such kindness. She was lower than low.

It seemed her confusion was obvious since Izayoi chuckled. "We were not going to leave you out there by yourself. You are one of us and we decided to look after you. No more harm will come to you." By the girl's fragile stature, Izayoi could tell she went through hell and it broke her heart. Injuries were fewer now and she simply could not understand why someone would view _her_ as a threat.

She might not be able to see Izayoi's face but Kagome heard her emotions rumbling through her voice. They thought she went through this _traumatic experience_ when really, she did this to herself. She wished for it when she could have asked for anything else in the world. All the pain she was still feeling, the blood pouring, the hacking of her flesh, she deserved it. She should have not been so foolish and careless.

Be careful what you wish for. She should have listened.

"I thank you for your kindness."

Izayoi put her hand on Kagome's cheek and cupped it gently before brushing her thumb along the underside of her eye. "It is only natural. We will help you and you will get back on your feet. There is still a life possible for you, do not give up."

Her words brought more tears to Kagome's eyes. The tears pooled in around her white eyes, a few sliding down her cheeks. Since she became a youkai, she never had the chance to sit down and let all the agony out. First came the pain, then she met Kouga and finally these people. Everywhere she went, she was a stranger. Heck, even in her own human village she felt like a stranger. She wanted to believe Izayoi's words very badly.

She wanted to fit in somewhere. She wanted a home where she could be herself without being reprimanded.

Izayoi wiped Kagome's tears with her thumb and then pressed a kiss on her forehead, her moist, warm lips providing her with a comfort her own mother's lips could not.

"You poor thing, you must be starving," Izayoi spoke as she pulled away. "Come with me. We had some food prepared."

At her words, Kagome's jaw clenched. What did youkais eat again? Actually, she did not think she ever knew. They, the humans, sort of assumed the meat of choice was human but that they settled for other things, maybe even other youkais. She always dismissed it but now that it was time to eat she truly hoped she was right in not believing the old tales. So far, she had been proven right every time…

Izayoi snaked an arm around Kagome's waist, causing the girl to stiffen. Regardless, she used her hold to lift her off of the bed. Kagome's feet trembled as she put a hand onto the bed, her fingers sinking into it, and nervously waited for the moment her feet would graze the ground. The racing of her heart ceased once the sole of her feet felt the cold of the wooden planks – or at least, it _smelled_ like wood. Once she was steady, Izayoi laced arms with her and began guiding her.

At first all of her Kagome's motions were jerky. She turned too late, there was no fluidity and she bumped into Izayoi more than once. Sometimes, she even felt the edges of the walls digging into her skin when she was too slow to follow. Izayoi was taking slow steps, going at Kagome's speed, hoping to help but it did not do much.

It was true that Kagome _could_ walk faster and perhaps end this torment quicker but it was a different sensation when she could not see what stood in front of her. Every step she took, she thought an obstacle was going to be there, waiting to trip her. She had no bearings, she was lost in an ocean of darkness, fear spreading into her heart with each step she took.

It took a while but they finally made it to their destination. Izayoi helped her sit down properly. She then guided one of her hands to the chopsticks and the other to the bowl. She ran her fingertips along the bowl, feeling the glacial feeling of the ceramic and the relief of the motifs. Kagome's hands were shaking while she felt the rim of the bowl and tried to land her chopstick into the food.

She moved them around, hearing the clacking of the wood against the ceramic. Kagome struggled to get food on her chopsticks and once she thought it felt _heavier_, she lifted them. She held them in place while she chose to bring her mouth forward instead. She tilted left and right until she felt the tip of the chopstick hit her.

Her lips were quivering and her tongue was scared. Nonetheless, she plunged the food inside her mouth and chewed. It was… rice.

She blinked a few times at her own silliness. Why did she assume the worst right away? Once relief was done washing over her, she began to chow down the food as fast as her lack of sight would allow, ignoring the fact that people _might_ be staring at her. She did spill a lot since she missed her mouth quite often, feeling it hit her hands and hearing it land on the table but being at ease in this new environment made her realize just how hungry she was.

Also, even though Izayoi sounded re-assuring, Kagome refused to think her situation was set in stone. In case the worst happened, she wanted to have some food in her and some strength back.

"Izayoi," a strange voice rudely greeted.

It did not sound like Inutaisho's and yet it felt familiar. Kagome slowed down her eating and waited for Izayoi's response.

"Sesshomaru, come over here please."

Loud footsteps resonated through the room and stopped once they were very close to Kagome. She strengthened her back, almost defensively. The hair on the back of her neck stood and once more, the feeling of familiarity washed over her. Where did she feel this aura before? She was so deep in her thought process, that it did not even strike her as odd that she could feel _this_ person's aura when she had yet to sense anybody else's.

"This is Kagome. She was attacked by humans and rendered blind."

"This Sesshomaru warned Father they would come after us. They are starting to brew a war once more, one that they will lose – that we will all lose."

Izayoi frowned. "I did not ask you to come here for your political opinion, son." His mouth twitched at the word son but he remained silent. "Kagome also lost her memories. She is much like a child in need of guidance. I need _you_ to help her with her aura and detection skills. It will make life much easier for her now that she is blind."

"This Sesshomaru has no time for such trivial tasks."

"You have mastered these skills better than anyone. I am rather busy healing and your father has no time for this. He is your alpha and he took the girl in. He is ordering you to do this. It is not a choice."

He sighed, clearly annoyed. "Hn."

_Hn_? Kagome half listened to the conversation, although she caught enough words to know she should feel insulted. Still, his last response, a half grunt, caused her to hold her breath. The sound rumbled through her and her heart raced; she heard that exact sound before and she sensed the spiteful aura in the past.

"I know you!" She discovered his identity; he was the _boy_.

Then, it dawned upon her that she spoke out loud. She winced, clamping a hand upon her lips, but it was too late. Without seeing them, she knew they were staring at her and probably waiting for an explanation. The only problem was that she did not have one. Unless she wished to tell them she was a former priestess who once helped him while he laid injured in a clearing… Somehow she felt it was not a good idea.

"Sesshomaru, do you know her?" Izayoi inquired hopeful, a twinkle shining in her eyes. She had no problem with looking after the girl but if they could find her family it would be much better for her.

His amber eyes glanced over her face inspecting every details but nothing caught his eyes. "This Sesshomaru has never seen her before."

No, not like this. Actually not at all. "I- hm, I am confused," she managed to mumble. "I think I was trying to remember something. I am sorry."

She could not use her sight to confirm it was him but she knew. That grunt, it resembled some of the ones he let out during his training. Not only that but she remembered the anger he lashed out at her when she tried to help him. That was why his aura felt familiar. She remembered how graceful he was, how powerful. She envied _him_. He was the whole reason why the thought of ever becoming a youkai entered her mind.

It seemed she should have listened to him talk at least once. He did not seem very nice or kind. Rudeness was not a very attractive quality. Apparently it was easier to judge people when you could not see what they looked like.

Izayoi pressed a hand to Kagome's forehead. "Perhaps you need more rest."

"I am fine," Kagome quickly replied. It did not matter if she slept or was awake. Her world was always going to be darkness from now on.

"Do you believe yourself ready to train with Sesshomaru?"

Oh, that was the subject of the conversation. No wonder he sounded so displeased. "I am." She did not want to but if she had to rely on someone helping her for everything little thing for the rest of her life she might go insane. The more she could learn, the better. Then, she might be able to go off on her own and cease all the lies. It made her feel disgusted with herself; she was choking from the inside, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Very well. Sesshomaru will guide you to the Gardens."

Kagome waited for a hand to grab her arm but there was nothing. Yet, his footsteps were loud and clear before slowly beginning to fade in sound. Was he… was he walking away without her?

"Sesshomaru!" Izayoi exclaimed in a reprimanding voice.

"If she wishes to learn from me, she will find the way on her own."

Kagome immediately heard Izayoi coming towards her, probably to help her regardless of what Sesshomaru said. Deciding against it, Kagome raised her hand to stop her. She had no clue where she was, where objects were located, but she would not let him push her around. Clearly the path was not awfully complicated or he would have guided her. If it was do-able… she could do it.

She inhaled deeply, tears of pain and frustration stinging in her eyes, before she began dragging her feet on the floor. It might take a while but she would do this. It was not only to prove him wrong but for herself as well. She _needed_ to do this. She _needed_ to know there was a way she could live without her sight. The wish was made and there was no turning back.

Sesshomaru was already very ahead of her and almost at his destination. Her presence enraged him more than anything else. She was the proof of weakness, of _their_ weakness. Humans were always on their guard but for the most part they were all too fragile to do any real damage. Apparently, they found ways around that. Her wounds were the most atrocious ones they saw in a while.

Humans were preparing for war and youkais should do the same. Unfortunately, his father never agreed with that idea. _Too many wars already, too many lives taken, the risk was too great_. If there was a way around it then perhaps but there was not. Humans simply tried to exterminate anything that was different from them. It was always that way and always would be. Even the loom of destruction over their heads could not prevent it.

Now they were left caring for this girl, for the humans' victory.

His time was precious, his training was important; he had no energy to waste on a weakling like her. She got herself in her current situation and she should get herself out of it as well. If everything was handed to her, she would keep on being weak and she would never learn to live as normal. Sight or not, she should be able to perform everything she did in the past. He might be forced to train her but he did not have to be kind.

Once he was in the Gardens, he sat down on a rock that lay upon the edge. Sesshomaru figured he would be there for a while; he could not sense her anywhere nearby. He doubted she had the ability to make it to the Gardens. At least, he would not have to endure her presence and instead of wasting time, he could use this opportunity to mediate; it would clear his mind of all unnecessary annoyances.

Meanwhile, further down the hall, Kagome's scratched hands were sliding along a rock wall as she did her best to follow the current path she was on. Sometimes, she heard footsteps and she assumed they were Izayoi's. The woman would not let her venture by herself. A part of her was relieved that she was not _completely_ alone.

She was resisting the urge to sigh heavily. This would be much easier if she knew the basics. Too many scents were attacking her sensitive nose at once and she could not pick them apart. Since they said they would train in the Gardens, she was expecting some flowers along with other things. If she could pick up that scent, or _his_ scent, in the mix maybe she could follow it.

And why in the world could she not feel his aura anymore?

Frustrated, she came to a halt. Kagome leaned against the wall and tilted her head backwards. The constant feeling of pain in her limbs and visage was causing her mind to throb in agony. That alone was making it much harder to focus. If for one brief moment she could clear her mind, it would make the task at hand less impossible. How she missed the priestess' mediation classes at the moment.

Maybe if she focused more during them she would not be in this mess.

Inuyoukai's noses were the best were they not? At least, she was certain that in general _normal_ dogs were great trackers.

She took another deep breath before she detached herself away from the wall and resumed her walk. It was not until she took ten more steps that a realization hit her. Maybe she _could _still feel his presence but she simply was not attempting to locate it. His previous feelings of anger might have made it easier. If she could re-call what _he_ felt like, she might be able to pin point his location. It might be easier than trying to locate the scent of flowers.

Kagome remembered that it was like a prickle in her chest and like needles were poking the back of her head. She did not bothered closing her eyes since all she saw was darkness. She felt the wind against her skin, the scent of flowers, meat, bood and the smell of the different people in the house. She clenched her fists together, waiting for the only familiar presence.

Then, goose bumps appeared on her arms.

He was near. She did not need her eyes to find him.

The speed of her heartbeat picked up as she began to take wider footsteps. She only felt his location once, yet she knew could get there. Her shoulders bumped into walls, her feet tripped into cracks and she nearly met the floor a few times but she never stopped walking. Seconds ticked away before, finally, she knew she arrived. Of course, in all of her excitement, she forgot about her surroundings. As she took her final step forward she obviously failed to notice the wall in front of her.

She walked straight into it.

The contact smashed her nose and she curled her toes while the pain spread through her body. Quickly, she felt small hands pressed against her back.

"Are you well child?"

She nodded. It was Izayoi. Her instincts were not that _bad_ since she figured out the woman was following her this entire time.

Izayoi guided her away from the wall and onto the right path. It was not until Kagome's bare feet smacked against the rock by the stairs that Sesshomaru opened one eye. His amber orb shifted in her direction and he nearly sighed. She made it. He was, in all honesty, surprised. He did figure she would eventually come but not this quickly. It nearly made no sense since he felt no strength coming from her, no will. She might as well be dead on the inside.

"Sit down," he ordered as he rose to his feet.

Kagome was more than happy to oblige this time. Sitting was much easier in her current situation since she did not have to constantly worry about losing her balance or moving and hitting something. Also, she felt _exhausted_. Locating Sesshomaru took more energy out of her than she anticipated. She glided her fingers around until she found the smooth surface. She pressed both hands to the rock before slumping down in a sitting position.

From afar, Izayoi was resting against the wall. A shadow lurked behind her and she smiled. "He is not happy with you," she stated.

"Sesshomaru is never pleased with anything I command," Inutaisho said as he came to stand by her side.

"You could have asked Inuyasha to do it."

"Inuyasha would have done it without complaining. He might have lost his patience a few times, but he would have done it." His elder son needed a lesson. He was rebellious from the very first day. "I need him grounded, I need him to stay in our lands."

"He would never do anything to put his life at risk."

Inutaisho sighed. "No, but if we are right about the girl, the humans are trying to attack us. Sesshomaru's foolishness could be the end of him despite how careful and powerful he is."

Since he was nothing more than a pup, Sesshomaru loved to train outside of their lands' limits. He feared nothing and no one. It was not even an act. His dear oldest son was reckless. Despite his immense strength, Inutaisho knew humans more than his son did. Actually, Sesshomaru probably never met a human and he could not prepare himself for their sneaky attacks.

"If he has to train her, he will remain here more often. Until we assert our safety and the peace between youkais and humans, I need him here."

There were other ways to prove your strength than fighting. Sesshomaru had yet to learn that lesson.

Inutaisho shifted his position and hissed.

"The pain?" Izayoi asked with concern eyes.

He nodded. He did have a recent fight with a human, a monk to be exact. Purple eyes, black hair tied up in a ponytail. He would not forget him for it was the first time in centuries that a human caused him harm. Perhaps it was his fault; his demonic form tended to cause havoc. Week passed, but his shoulder never healed properly. At this point, he doubted it ever would.

Nobody knew of it except Izayoi. She was the healer and the only one he trusted with this information. He was approaching seven hundred years old and he was no longer young. The years of wars took their toll on his body. If he should pass away, Sesshomaru would carry the fate of their tribe on his shoulders. And he was not ready for it.

He wrapped his arms around his mate's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder while he observed his son. Sesshomaru was barking orders, his patience next to zero. The girl however was surrounded by a fiery of fire but there was a kindness and fear burning inside of her.

Two opposites.

-L-


End file.
